Of Flesh and Steel
by SeikoTuNeR
Summary: A mistake as been made and there will be Hell to pay.
1. Chapter 1

**SeikoTuNeR: This is my entry into Krakensghost's 2008 challenge. I hope you enjoy this. Blah blah, I know. I'm working on Blondie.**

**And a quick note, just so I don't lead anyone on with the fact that the two main characters are Naruto and Sasuke, AND this is rated M. There is absolutely no romance between the two. **

Disclaimer :I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from writing this.

Of Flesh and Steel

Chapter 1

Kakashi had been summoned to the Hokage the second he was within eye sight of Konoha's gates. His mission had lasted longer than he would like, but it couldn't be helped. Due to it's nature it was more tedious than anything else. Politics and shinobi definitely do not go hand in hand. Kakashi's reputation proceeded him as his presence alone was good enough to keep the peace between two warring clans at an industrial city near the border.

Kakashi sauntered in the building and let himself in to the Hokage's office offering a low wave at the Chunin in front. Tsunade had an unusually serious look on her face.

"Please don't tell me Naruto and Sasuke fought again and caused major property damage.. I swear I'll have those two pay for the water towers." He knew this had something to do with those two.

"Well, the good news is that no, they haven't fought and caused any sort of property damage."

The Sharingan user gave a sigh of relief but stopped.

"There's no bad --?"

"Sasuke has left the village with four Sound shinobi, presumably to take Orochimaru's offer for more power. I sent Shikimaru approximately twelve hours ago with a squad of Genin consisting of Naruto, Neji, Kiba, and Chouji to bring him back. Unfortunately, the estimated trajectory path leads them straight through the Valley of the End."

There was an awkward silence as Kakashi processed this.

"What about Sakura?"

"She was the last person Sasuke spoke to before he left. After she gave me a report, I left her to her own devices."

"I'm going after them."

"I'm not stopping you."

Kakashi sat down to regain his bearings.

"Towards the Valley of the End?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Did the investigation unit come back with a report from that area?"

Tsunade arose from her chair holding a folder, but then abruptly sat back down and threw the folder at Kakashi.

"Whatever is going on there, it's not normal. The entire unit came back delirious. 'Came back' as in the only reason they're here is because one of them managed to send press the distress signal. Ibuki can't confirm if it's genjutsu or just some sort of mental breakdown."

Kakashi scanned the investigation unit's report. It didn't make any sense. It spoke of giant metal tanks, bombs that could wipe out cities... The word 'nanomachines' was used repeatedly, but wasn't explained. It didn't end there. A few of the others wrote of gods of abnormal powers, though some Kakashi reasoned, could simply be explained through use of jutsu, but other things didn't add up. The six man investigation unit's report, before it became an incoherent mess, could be categorized into two distinct patterns. Technological and mythological.

Two of the six individual reports blabbed on about machines, scientific mumbo jumbo Kakashi couldn't understand, and interestingly enough, bizarre names. Psycho Mantis and Laughing Octopus to name a few. The other four wrote as if they were in some sort of fantasy world where magic and gods exist.

Kakashi looked up.

"I don't understand...They wrote this like some sort of journal entry and they're..in whatever world they think they're in."

Tsunade nodded. She pulled out three more folders.

"These are from Sand, Rain, and Mist."

Kakashi's eyes widened as he read on.

"They're own shinobi experienced similar crazed episodes...But they were investigating an entirely different area. These places aren't even in our county!"

"You knew this and you still sent those kids after him?!"

Tsunade glared at him.

"I just received the trajectory calculations an hour ago. But we do not have anyone fast enough to catch up. Which is why you're here! Track them down, assist Shikamaru and his squad _**before**_they reach the Valley of the End."

The Copy-Cat ninja was already gone.

In another time, in another place, Kakashi would reach Naruto and Sasuke after the conclusion of their epic battle. Sadly, Kakashi had only just barely summoned Pakkun as Naruto stood over Sasuke's broken and lifeless body.

The rain hid the blond haired boy's tears.

In another time, in another place, Kakashi would pick up an unconscious Naruto and bring him home, careful in trying not to wake him. However, horror would flood Kakashi's senses as dark and foul chakra lingered in the area. The foul dark chakra of the demon fox that Kakashi could never forget. And the vile chakra the Jonin had grown accustomed to feeling from Orochimaru's curse seal.

He would only be able to gape in horror as he kneels by Sasuke's ravaged and broken body. The boy's fingers nearly all broken, bent at unnatural angles. Arms twisted and deformed, looking as if a giant had simply bent every joint in the opposite direction. But what horrified Kakashi the most would be the fist sized hole in Sasuke's abdominal.__

__Hatake Kakashi would carry Uchiha Sasuke's dead body back to Konoha a broken man.

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer :I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from writing this.

Chapter 2

Naruto had been running for hours. Chasing Sasuke was more of an accurate description. If he were to summarize what he was feeling at the moment, it would be annoyance. Yeah, so Sasuke was being a complete ass wipe by deserting the village. But Naruto's "righteous" anger had simmered down over the course of the day. Naruto had complete trust in his teammates for taking care of the loser shinobi Orochimaru had sent for Sasuke. Perhaps because Naruto had come face to face with much more potent shinobi, Naruto held little respect for them.

Naruto was only concerned with Kimimaru. The fact that he even remembered the name showed how dangerous he was. But even then, Gaara and Lee could definitely take on the psycho. Naruto's trust was the reason he wasn't feeling so worried or angry at the situation he was on. But annoyance was getting to him. Naruto knows Sasuke is at the least twice as fast as he is. But the prick just kept toying with him, lagging just enough so that Naruto could keep up.

If that wasn't enough, whenever he got close enough, the bastard had to gall to **giggle** and then speed up just to outside his field of vision. Naruto could take the teasing, but Sasuke **giggling**, at him?!

Naruto was annoyed. Annoyance lead to impatience, impatience leads to anger, and anger has Naruto with a very dirty mouth.

"Stop running you fucking needle dick son of a motherless goat!"

Sasuke stopped running.

"What the hell? I yelled Sasuke has a mangina and you just giggled! Guess I gotta talk about stuff you wish you had, eh! Eh, needle dick?"

They had stopped near two enormous statues facing each other with a waterfall between the two.

"Do you know where we are, dobe?"

Sasuke finally turned to face Naruto.

Naruto stood there, his anger smoldering. Sasuke didn't seem the least bit disturbed at the attack at his family jewels or lineage. Sasuke had purposefully led him here.

Naruto suddenly became aware of the dark energies swirling around them, there at the tip of his consciousness, almost whispering. It felt wrong and dangerous at the same time. It was as if he walked into a room full of Itachi's.

Naruto winced. Itachi was damn scary.

"Hmm? Do you? This is the place we all were forbidden from. The Valley of the End."

Sasuke twitched, and looked over at Naruto sharply.

"You can feel it too, can't you? This..malevolent energy..I haven't felt this _alive_ in years." Sasuke started giggling at his own inside joke.

Naruto's mind was racing. _Beat the shit out of him, bring him home._ Naruto ran that through his head repeatedly. He was completely unaware that he was already assessing all of Sasuke's fighting abilities and going through options of trying to compete with Sasuke's speed and Sharingan.

He wasn't paying attention to what Sasuke was saying.

"Rumors have it that the Shodia had an epic battle with someone extremely powerful over control for the village. The power the two clashed with still lingers..Even after almost a century."

Naruto only glared in response to Sasuke's talking.

"The Shodai's own clan members created this place. The monuments, the scenery..but do you know what's strange?"

Sasuke sneered at him.

"They all went insane and killed themselves."

"If this place is forbidden, especially with a history like that, why the hell are we here?"

Sasuke pulled out a kunai and twirled it around on his finger.

"I'm curious. Not to mention, this is the perfect place for our final match, eh? The Valley of the End. The end of any sort of friendship we've ever had. I figure, if I don't kill you myself, and you somehow managed to go back to the village, you'll have the stench of his place on you that the council will restrict your movements and possibly strip your rank of Genin."

Despite what was said, Naruto wasn't sure what was more disturbing, what could happen if he went back without Sasuke, or that the bastard had somehow learned some humility. A Sasuke that wasn't arrogant to believe he could win any fight was more dangerous than a cocky bastard that was full of himself.

"I'm tired of listening to you blab your stupid bullshit. Stop being a retard and just come home."

Sasuke scoffed.

"Home? Hah! Ridiculous. I haven't had a home since I was seven."

Naruto felt like Sasuke spat on his face. Sasuke knew Naruto meant something deeper when he used the word 'home'. It was his place of belonging. Kakashi, Sakura, Iruka..everyone Naruto had grown to care for. Even Sasuke. And for Sasuke to deny that..

"You don't mean that!"

Naruto rushed forward, while Sasuke smirked and met him straight on.

Before the two could even meet, Naruto saw constant flashing images that made no sense. He could see almost make out a beautiful blond nude woman beneath him but then it would jump to this enormous metal thing

_What the hell is going on?!_

Two words came to mind.

**Metal Gear. **

Suddenly, he was face to face with a man who held an eerie resemblance to Yondaime, but with black hair.

Sasuke saw Naruto distracted and took advantage of it with a knee to the face.

Naruto didn't get a chance to recover as Sasuke grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the water.

Naruto didn't bother trying to get to the surface.

_I'm freaking day dreaming in the middle of a damn fight! _

Sasuke waited patiently on the surface of the water. He knew that one blow was not enough to put down Naruto.

"Tsk tsk, dobe. Still careless I see."

"Shut up!"

Two Naruto's appeared on the surface holding another Naruto between them.

Sasuke was going to laugh at the blond until the duo threw the middle one at him.

Fast.

Sasuke didn't have enough time to dodge completely as Naruto bulleted past him grabbing his ankle. Naruto used his momentum and strength to hurl Sasuke into a tree. Sasuke's impact with the tree was loud. Sasuke just caught his breath when the projectile Naruto went head first into his torso and exploded in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto allowed Sasuke to get up.

Sasuke groaned and patted his back.

"Where did you learn a trick like that?"

"Your mom."

Sasuke growled but said nothing. He blinked and his Sharingan was activated.

"That attack..could have seriously injured me ..before. If my spine wasn't damaged on the tree, the force at which you hit my chest would have broken my sternum...I could have died.."

Naruto jolted in shock. He had never taken into account the sort of damage he could be doing when he attacked. He just did them. But the shock wore off when Sasuke started laughing hysterically.

"You've gotten _good, _Naruto. No more games."

Sasuke's two revolving tomoes stopped to reveal a third.

"More cheap theatrics, bastard?"

"Do you know what the strange thing is, eh? Dobe?"

"You've always wanted some sort of acknowledge from me of your power. Yet now, when you finally have it, you don't take _me_ seriously."

Naruto growled in outrage.

"Me?! Says the asswipe that suddenly leaves his village to follow some pale faced fucker on a damn whim!"

"Whim?! He's offering me _power_! Do you even _know_ me? Do you not know what I obsess over, what I dream about, what I think about almost every waking moment of my life?"

"Stop being a bitch and just come home!"

Sasuke shook with rage and dashed towards Naruto.

"_Shut up!" _He screamed.

Sasuke vanished from sight and appeared to the left of Naruto. Sasuke threw a fist towards Naruto's face. The Sharingan helped Sasuke predict that Naruto would attempt to step back to avoid the fist, and that he should compensate by leaning more so into the punch.

It would explain why Sasuke was very much surprised when Naruto simply grabbed his fist, took a step towards his body, and pushed hard against his elbow hinge joint.

There was an audible snap.

Sasuke could only look at his arm as Naruto brought his right leg behind Sasuke's and kicked at the joint as he slammed the Uchiha to the ground.

Sasuke tried to roll while almost delirious in pain, but Naruto stomped his knee cap.

Naruto couldn't describe what he was feeling. He had never seen anyone attack Sasuke the way he did, but it felt so natural, as if had known it all this time and only used what he'd learn from his own brawls and the academy. He was ruthless, relentless, and completely unforgiving.

With all the damage done, Naruto was rightly surprised when a giant leathery bat-like wing smacked him across the face powerful enough to knock him off his feet and crash into a nearby boulder.

"What the -"

Sasuke interrupted him with a scream of pure unadulterated rage. The scream/growl sounded so primal, for the first time, Naruto was a bit afraid of him. It wasn't just the near insane sound coming from Sasuke that unnerved him, but the whole visual effect. His hair completely disappeared. Two enormous wings erupted from his back, and lastly his skin. While Sasuke was already pale, now he was ghostly white. Naruto didn't know what a fallen angel looked like, but if he were to take a guess, it would be this.

The blond knew he had severely damaged Sasuke's knee. So to watch Sasuke launch himself off of one leg fast enough to completely disappear from view, Naruto barley uttered "Shit" before he felt a sledgehammer crack him in the jaw. He was hurled into the air and laid sprawled on his back.

"Shiiiit...Ow. And they call me the village's most surprising shinobi." His thoughts was once again interrupted again by the Uchiha preparing one of his giant fireballs.

Naruto sighed.

"Cheap Ryu-hadou-ken-ass wannabe...Fuck my jaw..."

He didn't bother getting up, instead the container created several clones to get him out of the ensuing blast. The clones had taken him a good hundred or so yards away but the blast radius of the technique had increased several times over from their last encounter on the rooftop.

Naruto was coughing from the heated air as Sasuke limped over to him.

"You think you get away from me like that?!" The container shouted, pointing at the limping Uchiha. Sasuke scowled and attempted to use his wings. They worked.

"Oh fuck that! You can fly? Fine. You want to use weird fucking shit lets go!"

The self appointed avenger had a brief flashback to a a very powerful Naruto in the Forest of Death, he visibly flinched. Instantly he felt a dark foul chakra, practically radiating from Naruto.

"I'm going to break your legs, than your arms, and I'm going to tear off your wings. THEN I'm dragging you back through that dense ass forest, and I'll be sure to walk through EVERY thorn bush available."

Sasuke merely hovered above the ground, almost amazed as Naruto was that he could actually stay in the air.

"Come."

The next half hour composed of Naruto jumping and Sasuke batting him away. The wings may have given the Uchiha the ability for flight, but it was far to new of a skill for him to use it to his advantage. He had limited mobility while Naruto could bounce back with relative ease from anywhere. Not to mention his clones popping in and out attempting to drag Sasuke down.

"This is going no where, dobe. Lets see how you fare against a Chidori!"

Naruto quickly jumped backwards and creating clones just as Sasuke launched himself towards the container. Sasuke had once again zipped from view and Naruto could only see the the static glow of the Chidori tear through his clones.

Naruto knew he had once chance. At the rate Sasuke was going through his clones, and if he stood still, he might be able to grab Sasuke at the wrist and stop him there and then. Naruto's estimate was dead on.

The split second Sasuke reached Naruto and thrust his fist towards the blond's heart, Naruto caught Sasuke's wrist and directed it towards his right pectoral. What Naruto forgot was Sasuke's built momentum and augmented strength from the seal. And the only reason the Uchiha's fist didn't go completely through him was because he caught it.

Sasuke could only look on in surprise as he felt an increase in the mysterious foul chakra. Naruto grew claw like nails, his canines sharper and the wound on the right side of his chest started to sizzle and bubble with Sasuke's fist still lodged inside.

Sasuke couldn't move as his body had finally given out with the prolonged use of the curse seal unleashed. He could barely scream as Naruto's nailed dug into his forearm and wrench it out of the containers lung. Once again he heard _and_ felt the snap of his elbow hinge joint. He didn't feel Naruto crushing his hand. He did however, feel the blond's vice grip over his neck. He struggled to breath when Naruto hoisted him up in the air with one hand. There was nothing he could do.

Uchiha, Sasuke had lost. He almost prayed for Naruto to kill him. The shame in being dragged back to Konoha felt too much to bear. It seemed he would get his unspoken prayer when Naruto formed the Rasengan with one hand.

_It's over. My dreams..my ambitions..over..NO! Naruto has to be the one. NO one else!_

"If you do this...Kill...Itachi."

Naruto shook his head.

Sasuke felt a burst of raw rage surge through him but he couldn't do much as Naruto tightened his grip over the neck.

Naruto only shook his head because he didn't intend to kill Sasuke. He was forming the incomplete Rasengan. It wouldn't kill Sasuke because Jiraiya had used the same form when attacking that idiot Chunin. He had once again miscalculated.

The Kyubi's chakra could _never_ be non lethal. It carved a hole in Sasuke's abdomen.

Horror gripped Naruto.

"No..No..What ...NO NO!"

Naruto keeled over the quickly growing cold body.

He just killed his friend.

How could he explain that to Tsunade or Kakashi....Or Sakura?

He could not go back to Konoha.

Abruptly, Naruto became aware of the strange malevolent energy surrounding the place. But the area looked seemingly normal, beautiful even. It started to rain the same time tears formed around his eyes.

_Murderer._

_Demon._

_Trash._

_Failure._

"Everything I've been called..is true.."

If Sasuke had been alive for a few minutes longer, he would have seen Naruto slowly fade into nothing.

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